This set of variations on a theme of memory is Eckemoff’s finest to date and may at last put her on a map where she has been largely ignored. Other highlights in this regard-all the more so, ironically enough, for being so darkly ponderous-include the panoramic “Love Train” and, above all, the simpatico title track. The balance of distinctly classical arrangements and jazzier change-ups yields affirmative soloing, most effectively through Feldman’s clear and present notecraft, as in the evocative “Coffee and Thunderstorm,” a quintessential embodiment of what unites Eckemoff’s chosen genres: namely, the ability to expand fleeting moments into poetry. Titles such as “Spots of Light” and “Ocean of Pines” further indicate that silver linings reign supreme. Between the raindrop impressions of the “Prologue” to warmth of closer “A Date in Paradise,” pianist and drummer dispel an overcast sky until only sunshine remains. Review by Ken Dryden Deanna Witkowski Force of Nature. Review by Mark Keresman Roxy Coss Disparate Parts. The Eckemoff-Hart nexus gives off its broadest spectrum in the more programmatic pieces. Review by Anna Steegmann Adi Meyerson I Want To Sing My Heart Out In Praise of Life. ![]() Whether comping with confidence in “Mushroom Rain” or drawing with light in “Hope Lives Eternal,” she moves around her bandmates by means of a genuinely expressive outreach. She repurposes earlier compositions among the fresh to tell the story of a young woman fleeing Soviet Russia and the ways in which music has constructed bridges to the places she put behind her. Though Eckemoff has always been a self-aware musician, Leaving Everything Behind finds her in an especially conceptual mode. The latter’s approach to color makes for an easy corollary to Eckemoff’s painterly ways and his retention this time around is felt alongside two new collaborators: violinist Mark Feldman and bassist Ben Street. Her friendship with bassist Arild Andersen, for one, led to their “Lions” trio with drummer Billy Hart. Eckemoff’s road to this point has been paved with classical roots, but has attracted increasingly heavier hitters of jazz to her entourage. With Leaving Everything Behind, she has perfected it. Since 2006, pianist Yelena Eckemoff has been stirring a chamber jazz cocktail two parts through-composed for each one improvised. The issue also features an article about ECM artist Nik Bärtsch, whose CD release concert for the new album Continuum I will be reviewing for All About Jazz in May. You may also access the entire issue directly in PDF format on the magazine’s website here. Here, Monk and his ten-man band rehearse at the jazz loftphoto by W. ![]() This odd couple collaborated at the jazz loft, where Eugene Smith tape-recorded their sessions. This week marks a new venture for me as a writer for The New York City Jazz Record, for whom my first review appears in the May 2016 issue. On February 28, 1959, Thelonious Monk made history at New York’s Town Hall in a performance of his work as arranged by Juilliard teacher and composer Hall Overton.
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